Internals of the limut DSL parser, lambda/user-function machinery, player overrides, pattern timing, and sections. Use when modifying anything under expression/ (especially parse-expression.js, parse-var.js, parse-map.js, lookupOp.js), section/sections.js, player/callstack.js, player/standard.js, player/player.js, parse-line.js, or pattern/pattern.js — or when debugging issues with lambdas/user-defined functions, `set` overrides not taking effect, `dur` timing oddities, chord/stutter/delay expansion, or sections (active/next tracking, section params).

2026-07-1570

headless-tests

sdclibbery/limut

Run the limut in-browser test suite from a shell using headless Chrome. Use when the user asks to run, check, or verify tests without opening a browser, or when validating a change touched testable code.

2026-07-1570

verifier-audio-wiring

sdclibbery/limut

Verify audio-graph wiring changes (fx chains, connectable construction, node-function output) in limut by driving the running app in headless Chrome and inspecting the constructed Web Audio graph. Use when modifying play/player-fx.js, play/nodes/graph.js, play/effects/*, play/synth/bus.js, expression/connectOp.js, expression/connectableOps.js, or anything else whose effect is "the audio node graph wires up differently."

2026-07-0770

audio-internals

sdclibbery/limut

Internals of the limut audio node graph, lifecycle, and parameter evaluation. Use when modifying anything under play/, expression/connectOp.js, expression/connectableOps.js, play/nodes/, play/effects/, play/envelopes.js, play/player-fx.js, or play/eval-audio-params.js — or when debugging audio leaks, "_destructor is undefined" errors, fx chain bugs, or Web Audio API constraint violations.

2026-06-1270

تشغيل أي مهارة بنقرة واحدة

name	write-music
description	write limut DSL code to produce music in a style requested by the user

Write limut DSL code to produce music. Read the CLAUDE.md in the project root for full DSL reference. Below are practical patterns learned from examples.limut and the full index.html documentation.

Structure of a Piece

A piece typically has:

set bpm=N (common: 80-150)
set scale=NAME (minor, phrygian, dorian, mixolydian, lydian, penta, major, etc.)
Optional set root=N to transpose
Drum/percussion players
Bass player
Harmonic/pad players
Lead/melody players
Optional visuals (v lines)
Optional set ch=... for shared chord progressions

Each line defines one player: ID TYPE PATTERN, param=value, param=value

Limut is case insensitive; piano, Piano, and PIANO are all treated the same.

Basic Syntax

Comments

// line comment
/* ... */ block comment

Commands

id synth pattern, params - define a player
set id params - override player params
set var=value - set global var
preset name synth, params - create a synth preset
include 'url' - include a limut source file

Multi-line commands

Commands can span multiple lines. A new command starts when the beginning of a line matches set , preset , or id type pattern.

Drum Patterns

Use play type with letter patterns. Each character is a 1-beat hit; . is rest.

Play Samples (full list)

Each letter maps to a sample folder. Multiple samples exist per letter (selected via sample=N).

Char	Sound	Char	Sound
`x`	Bass drum	`X`	Heavy kick
`v`	Soft kick	`V`	Hard kick
`o`	Snare drum	`O`	Heavy snare
`u`	Soft snare	`i`	Jungle snare
`I`	Rock snare	`D`	Dirty snare
`-`	Hi hat closed	`=`	Hi hat open
`:`	Hi-hats	`+`	Clicks
`*`	Clap	`H`	Clap
`h`	Finger snaps	`#`	Crash
`~`	Ride cymbal	`s`	Shaker
`S`	Tambourine	`t`	Rimshot
`T`	Cowbell	`e`	Electronic Cowbell
`k`	Wood shaker	`K`	Percussive hits
`l`	Robot noise	`L`	Noisy percussive hits
`m`	808 toms	`M`	Acoustic toms
`r`	Metal	`R`	Metallic
`p`	Tabla	`P`	Tabla long
`d`	Woodblock	`n`	Noise
`a`	Gameboy hihat	`A`	Gameboy kick drum
`b`	Noisy beep	`B`	Short saw
`c`	Voice/string	`C`	Choral
`E`	Ringing percussion	`f`	Pops
`F`	Trumpet stabs	`g`	Ominous
`G`	Ambient stabs	`J`	Ambient stabs
`N`	Gameboy SFX	`w`	Dub hits
`W`	Distorted	`y`	Percussive hits
`Y`	High buzz	`z`	Scratch
`Z`	Loud stabs	`q`	Ambient stabs
`Q`	Electronic stabs	`U`	Misc. Fx
`\|`	Hangdrum	`/`	Reverse sounds
`\`	Lazer	`%`	Noise bursts
`$`	Beatbox	`@`	Gameboy noise
`&`	Chime	`!`	Yeah!
`1`	Vocals (One)	`2`	Vocals (Two)
`3`	Vocals (Three)	`4`	Vocals (Four)

Typical drum patterns

kd play X., room=0.1                           // four-on-floor kick
kd play (Xv)., room=0.1                        // kick with ghost note chord
kd play X..X.X.., room=0.1                     // syncopated kick
sd play ..O., room=0.1                         // backbeat snare
sd play ..(OH*)., room=0.2                     // snare with clap layer
hh play -, echo=1/4, amp=2                     // 8th note hats
hh play -[--]-[.-], fold, amp=2               // breakbeat-style hats
hh play .[::], echo=1/8                       // hat pattern with tight hats

Pattern Syntax

Brackets in patterns

(...) = chord (play all simultaneously)
[...] = subsequence (fit multiple events into one dur)
<...> = supersequence (cycle through alternatives each pattern repeat)

Examples:

X<...[.v]> = first time X then ..., second time X then .v
[XX] = two kicks in one beat (double time)
(OH) = snare and clap together

Pattern modifiers

. = rest (silence)
_ = continuation/tie (extends previous note, NOT rest)
0# = sharp
0b = flat
0= = extend duration by 50%
0! = shorten duration by 33%
0^ = 50% louder
0v = 33% quieter
x^ = 50% louder (non-numeric, for play synth)
0a = other chars after digits become params; eg t tri 01g23, glide=this.g/2

Pattern literal

`01 23` = backtick pattern literal; whitespace is ignored, contents treated as literal

Pattern operators

01 loop 2 = play pattern only N times then stop
0123 crop 2 = crop pattern to N steps (repeats if needed)
1 + 2 = concatenate two patterns
1 * 2 = repeat pattern N times
now 01 = play starting on next beat instead of from beat 0
follow p1 = follow another player's pattern
gamepad = generate notes from gamepad controller
midi = generate notes from MIDI controller

Audio Synth Types

Basic oscillators

play - sample player (letters/symbols for samples). Duration defaults to 1/2
perc - sampled percussion. Duration defaults to 1/4, has choke group
saw - sawtooth wave, oct=4
sine - sine wave, oct=4
square - square wave, oct=4
tri - triangle wave, oct=4
pulse - pulse wave, oct=3
wave - waveform specified by wave param
ping - sine wave ping, oct=5, simple envelope
noise - white noise pad (AudioWorklet)

Detuned variants (thicker sound)

dsaw - detuned sawtooth, oct=4
dsine - detuned sine pad, oct=4
dsquare - detuned square, oct=4
dtri - detuned triangle, oct=4
dbass - detuned sawtooth bass, oct=2
dpulse - detuned pulse, oct=3
dwave - detuned waveform specified by wave param
swell - detuned triangle pad, oct=4

FM synthesis

fm - FM base synth; configure operators with op1 to op6 params
- op1={ratio:5.19,target:3,wave:'saw',depth:0.8,att:0.01,rel:0.1}
fmbass - FM bass, oct=2
bell - FM bell
glock - FM glockenspiel, oct=4
glass - FM glass/chime, oct=5
xylo - FM xylophone, oct=4
ethereal - FM pad, oct=5
epiano - DX7-style electric piano

Complex synths

audiosynth - base type; use play param for custom audio node graph
piano - sampled piano
pwm - pulse width modulation (AudioWorklet). pwm=1/2 for pulse width
prophet - PWM with LFO pulse-width (AudioWorklet)
supersaw - 7-oscillator supersaw lead, oct=4
ambi - ambient drone, multiple sines
multiwave - multiple oscillators: wave1={'saw',amp:[0:1]n,detune:wow}
pitchedperc - synthesised percussion (click/hit/body/rattle components)
- click={1}, hit={0,sample:'^',index:1,rate:3/2}
- body={1,att:5ms,dec:400ms,freq:55hz,boost:150hz,wave:'sine',saturation:0}
- rattle={1,att:0ms,dec:30ms,rate:1,filter:'lowpass',freq:55hz,boost:205hz,q:18}
bd - preset kick drum based on pitchedperc. Params: accent, tone, tune=55
io808 - TR-808 simulation. type='bd' selects sound. Params: level, tone, decay, snappy, tuning
impulse - single pulse
sample - pitched sample player. Use sample param for URL, start for playback offset
external - microphone/line input. track=1, channel=1
crackle - crackly sounds
noisefloor - slowly varying noise floor
bus - audio mix bus (plays continuously, all params per-frame). Implicit main bus exists

Special synths

! / stop / none - stop/remove a player

Melodic Patterns

Scale degrees (0-indexed): 0 = root, 1 = 2nd, 2 = 3rd, etc. Negative numbers go down.

// Melodic bass line
db dbass 0[.0][10]_, dur=1/2, lpf=[200:2000]s8, att=0, oct=(1,2)

// Arpeggio
arp dsaw 02435167, dur=1/2, sus=1/4, echo=3/4, lpf={[500:1500]l7,q:22}, att=0

// Chord stab
stab dsaw (0246), dur=[3,3,2]/4, att=0, sus=1/4, echo=3/4, lpf={[500:1700]l5,q:20}

// Pad
pad ethereal (024)(035), dur=4, room=0.7, oct=4

Value Syntax

Basic structure: value{modifiers}@interval

Numeric values

1 - constant number
0dB - decibel value (converted to gain; 0dB=1, +6dB~~2, -6dB~~0.5, -20dB~0.1)
100ms - milliseconds; 1s - seconds; 1Hz/1cps - Hertz; 1kHz = 1000Hz
1b - beats; 1cpb - cycles per beat; 1kcpb = 1000cpb; 1cpm - cycles per minute
Missing value on param = 1 (eg monochrome same as monochrome=1)

Sequences and timevars

[1,2] - sequence, one per event
[] - equivalent to [0,1]
[1,2]t3 - timed sequence, each value lasts 3 beats
[1:12,2:4]t - timed sequence with variable timing per value
[0:3]t1 - expanded timed sequence = [0,1,2,3]t1
[1,2]l3 - linear interpolated sequence over 3 beats
[1:12,2:4]l - linear interpolated with variable timing
[1,2]s3 - smooth (S-curve) interpolated sequence over 3 beats
[1,2]e - interpolated over event duration
[1,2]e1 - interpolated starting at event start, 1 beat per value
[0:!300ms,1:_[1/4b:1/2b]r,0]e - piecewise envelope with mixed timing
[1:!200ms,0]e@s - segment-based (more accurate timing for envelopes)

Random and noise

[]r - random 0 to 1 each event
[1,4,7]r - random choice from list
[:9]r or [0:9]r - random float from range
[0,1:7]r - weighted random (1 is 7x more likely than 0)
[1,2]r4 - random, hold for 4 beats
[1:3]r{seed:1,per:4} - deterministic seeded random
[]n - smooth Perlin noise 0 to 1
[1:2]n4 - noise between 1-2, period ~4 beats
[]n{seed:1,per:4} - deterministic noise

Piecewise series

[v1:i1t1, v2:i2t2, ...]{p, repeat:0} - interpolate between values with custom control parameter

Interpolation operators: :/ :\ linear, :_ const/step, :~ smooth bezier, :! exponential, :^4: power curve

Arithmetic

+, -, *, /, %, ^ (power), - (unary minus)

Chords

(1,2,4) - play simultaneously
| - concatenate chords: 1|2 = (1,2), (1,2)|(3,4) = (1,2,3,4)

Conditionals

?? - "if then": this.foo??5 returns 5 if foo is truthy, nothing if not (short circuits)
?: - "or else": this.foo?:5 returns foo if present, else 5 (short circuits)
Ternary: this.foo>1 ?? 2 ?: 3

Comparisons

==, !=, <, >, <=, >=

Maps

{x:0,y:1} - map with key-value pairs
{2,y:1} - map with main value plus subparams (eg chop={2,wave:'tri'})
Colours: {r:0,g:1,b:0,a:1} (RGBA), {h:1,s:1,v:1,a:1} (HSV), {labh:1,c:1,l:1} (LabLCH)
Hex colours: #f00f (RGBA short), #ff0000ff (RGBA long), #f00 / #ff0000 (RGB, alpha=1)
'abc' - string value (single line; use \n for line breaks)

Lookups (dot operator)

p1.amp - player param lookup (returns chord of all playing events)
p1.amp.0 - chord index (wraps around)
p1.pulse.max - chord aggregator: max, min, first, last, rand, count, sum, avg
this.value - current event param
this.freq - current note frequency
{foo:2}.foo - map field lookup
([0,1]t1@f).accum - smoothly accumulate values

Modifiers

{time:time*2+8} - modify the time expression
{per:8} - repeat sequence every 8 beats
{per:8,0:7,2:3} - force values at specific beat positions within repeat
{step:1/2} - advance time in discrete steps
Note: modifier and interval order can be swapped: []r@f{seed:1} = []r{seed:1}@f

Intervals

@e - evaluate once per event
@f - evaluate per frame (~60fps) for smooth animation
Interval applies to nearest value: this.foo@e applies @e to foo only; use (this.foo)@e for the whole lookup

Variable lookup

foo - lookup global var named foo; returns string 'foo' if no var exists
foo{x:2} - call var as function with named params

Common Event Params

Timing

dur=N - duration in beats (1/4=16th, 1/2=8th, 1=quarter, 2=half, 4=whole)
dur=[3,3,2]/4 - common shuffle/swing pattern
delay=N - event start time offset in beats
delay={1/2,add:2} - delay with param overrides on delayed events
stutter=N - split event into N evenly-spaced sub-events
swing=N - swing amount (50=straight, 58-66=swung, 75=max dotted)
swing={66,period:1/2} - swing with custom period (default 1/4)

Volume

amp - player amplitude (defaults to event vel)
vel - event velocity (default 3/4; controls amp and usually brightness)

READ ONLY params

voice - voice index within a chord
time - current time in beats this event has been playing
idx - pattern index of this event
exists - 1 if player is defined
playing - 1 if player is currently sounding
pulse - rise/fall value as note plays (pre-multiplied by vel)
player - name of current player
freq - note frequency in Hz (set by tonal synths)

Other

rate - playback rate for samples, animation rate for visuals

Audio Params

Envelope

att - attack time (default unit: beats). att=0 for sharp attack
dec - decay time
sus - sustain time. sus={level:0.5} for sustain level (default 0.8)
rel - release time
envelope - type: 'full' (ADSR), 'simple' (ADR), 'organ' (ASR), 'pad' (cosine crossfade), 'linpad' (linear crossfade), 'percussion' (R only). Or custom expression: envelope=[1:!300ms,0]e@s

Pitch & Tuning

oct=N - octave (1=sub bass, 2=bass, 3=low, 4=mid, 5=high)
oct=(2,3) - chord across octaves
add=N - add scale degrees to pitch (per-event only)
add={0,#:1} - sharpen; add={0,b:1} - flatten
addc=N - add continuous semitones (per-frame, fractional). addc=wow for pitch drift
detune=N - oscillator detuning in semitones
vib=RATE - vibrato rate (default unit: cpb)
vib={2,depth:1} - vibrato depth in semitones (default 0.4)
vib={2,delay:1} - delay before vibrato starts (default 1/2 beat)
glide=N - portamento time in beats. glide={1/3,curve:4} for curve shape (default curve:1)
root=N - override root for this player only
scale=NAME - override scale for this player

Filter

lpf=FREQ - low pass filter. lpf={400,q:20} for resonance (default q:5). lpf={400,poles:4} for 24dB/oct
hpf=FREQ - high pass filter. Same subparams as lpf
bpf={FREQ,q:20} - band pass filter (default q:1). Multiple parallel: bpf1, bpf2 etc
nf={FREQ,q:20} - notch filter (default q:1)
apf1={FREQ,q:2} - allpass filter. Multiple apf1, apf2 etc (parallel, allowing phase cancellation)
psf={f1:300,f2:2300,q:0.7} - phaser stage filter. Multiple psf1, psf2 etc (series)
low=-6dB - low shelf EQ. low={-8db,freq:400} (default freq:200Hz)
mid=-6dB - mid EQ. mid={-8db,freq:400,q:10} (default freq:600Hz, q:5)
high=-6dB - high shelf EQ. high={-8db,freq:400} (default freq:1100Hz)
Filter sweep: lpf={[200:2000]l8,q:15}

Effects

room=N - freeverb (0.1-2). room={2,hpf:300,mix:1/4} (default mix:1/2)
reverb=N - convolution reverb duration in beats. reverb={2,curve:3,hpf:300,mix:1/4} (default mix:1/2, curve:5)
echo=TIME - echo delay. echo={1,feedback:0.8} (default feedback:0.35). Bus echo: echo={1,max:2}
chorus=N - stereo chorus. chorus={1,mix:1/4}
phaser=RATE - phaser (default unit: cpb). phaser={1/3,mix:1/4}
flanger=RATE - flanger (default unit: cpb). flanger={1/3,mix:1/4}
chop=N - tremolo/gating (default unit: cpb). chop={2,wave:'triangle',mix:1/4} (waves: sine, square, triangle, saw)
ring=FREQ - ring modulation (default unit: Hz). ring={32,wave:'saw',mix:1/4} (default wave: triangle)
drive=N - overdrive/soft clip (1/32=gentle, 1/4=distortion, 1=fuzz). drive={1,gain:2,mix:1/4}
fold=N - wavefolder. fold={1,gain:2,mix:1/4}
clip=N - hard clipping. clip={1,gain:2,mix:1/4}
noisify=N - distort into noise. noisify={1,gain:2,mix:1/4}
bits=N - bitcrusher (1=very distorted, 32=clean, 0=off). bits={4,gain:2,mix:1/4}
suck=N - scale down small amplitudes (gated tail effect). suck={1,gain:2,mix:1/4}
compress=RATIO - compression. compress={12,gain:2,threshold:-40dB,knee:10dB,att:0.1,rel:0.2}

Spatial

pan=N - stereo position (-1 to 1)
pan=(-1,1) - hard pan left and right
mono - force signal to mono

Other audio params

choke=GROUP - choke group (string); notes cut off others in same group across players
sample=N - with play: choose sample set. With sample synth: URL of audio file
sample={32,pitch:261.6} - specify original sample pitch (default 261.6Hz = C4)
start=N - sample playback start time (default unit: seconds)
wave=NAME - waveform: sine, square, sawtooth/saw, triangle/tri, pulse, plus many more: ah, bass, brass, buzzy, celeste, ethnic, organ, piano, trombone, wurlitzer, etc. (hyphenated names need quotes)
bus=ID - mix to specified bus player (default: main)
cutoff - filter cutoff 0-1 (for presets that support it)
resonance - filter resonance (for presets that support it)

Visual Synths

blank - solid colour
clouds - moving clouds
kal - kaleidoscope
swirl - psychedelic swirl
julia - Julia set fractal
lines - twisting lines
blob - morphing 3D blob
streetlight - passing streetlights
grid - square grid
glow - additive glow
stars - exploding stars
bits - bitwise fractal patterns
xor - bitwise xor patterns
gradient - simple y gradient
shadertoy - shadertoy shader (use id param; must be public+api)
image - online image (use url param; must support CORS)
webcam - webcam feed. device param for device index/label. width/height for resolution
text - text display. text={'Hello',font:'times',size:'144',linesize:0.7,y:1/4,x:2/3,style:'bold italic'}
buffer - render target. Other synths render into it with buffer=ID
scope - audio waveform display
scopefft - frequency spectrum display
readout - digital value display
dmx - DMX lighting output. channel, set, lights, addl, mul, min, max params

Visual Params

add - add to pattern value
zorder - draw order (default: line number / 1000)
fade - brightness fadeout
time - override shader time (default unit: beats; overrides rate and sway)
rate - shader time progression rate
pulse - audio signal effect on visual value
sway - audio signal effect on visual time
loc - position/size: {x:0,y:0,w:2,h:2} for fullscreen. Coords: (-1,-1) bottom-left to (1,1) top-right
window - display only portion matching screen position
scroll - scroll shader: {x:0,y:0}
repeat - repeat shader section. repeat={1/2,x:0.1,y:-0.05}
zoom - zoom: {x:1,y:1}
rotate - rotation in full turns (1/2 = 180 degrees)
mirror=N - number of mirror planes. mirror={10,rotate:1/4,fan:1}
fore - foreground colour
mid - middleground colour (defaults to midway between fore and back)
back - background colour
pixellate=N - pixellate to N pixels in x. pixellate={10,y:20}
perspective=N - perspective warp (negative to invert). perspective={-1,shade:1/2}
tunnel - tunnel/slitscan warp
ripple - ripple distortion. ripple={1,scale:1/4}
additive - additive blend
blend - blend mode: additive, subtractive, average, multiply, invert, min, max
monochrome - 0=normal, 1=monochrome
vignette - edge fadeout. vignette={1/2,aspect:4/3,cutoff:0.95}
vhs - VHS tape effect
recol - recolour: oil, hue, fire, sunset, neon, titanium
contrast - power contrast curve (0=none)
buffer=ID - render to a buffer synth
rez=N - buffer render target resolution scale (default 1/2)
feedback - buffer video feedback. feedback={zoom:1.01,ripple:1/32,contrast:0.005}

Main Vars (set, not readable)

bpm - beats per minute (resets unless set every update)
scale - scale name (resets unless set every update)
root - root pitch offset in semitones (fractional OK for tuning nudges)
beat.readouts - beat counter display: beat.readouts=(3,12) (default: (12,16,32), max 3)

Predefined Vars

time - current time in beats
wow - smooth random pitch drift for analog feel; eg addc=wow
tg - trance gate signal (flips on/off every quarter beat)
drop6_2 through drop63_1 - predefined on/off drop patterns (eg [1,0]t[6,2])
tile_full, tile_tl/tr/bl/br/m, tile_h1-h5, tile_v1-v5 - visual locations
fullscreen - full screen tile
tile_random/tile_rand - random location tile
sparkle - small random location tile
droplet - small tile falling down screen
spark - small tile flying outwards
gravity - accelerating downward motion (combine: spark+gravity)
firefly - random insect-like motion
Colours: transparent, black, darkgray, gray, lightgray, white, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet, neonpink, neongreen
random - random colour
rainbow - colour cycling through rainbow

Functions

abs{-1} - absolute value
sign{-1} / sgn - sign (-1, 0, 1)
pitch{1} - frequency for scale degree. pitch{4#} sharp. pitch{0,oct:3,scale:minor,root:2}
eventpitch{} - frequency based on current event params
floor{1.5} / ceil{1.2} / round{1.7} - rounding. floor{1.7,to:1/2} rounds to precision
accum{1} - accumulate value over time (only rises)
smooth{[]r@f} - smooth a value. smooth{x,att:4,dec:4} or smooth{x,2} combined rate
rate{[0:1]l1@f} - rate of change in units per beat
first{3,1,2} / last{3,1,2} - first/last argument
min{3,1,2} / max{3,1,2} - min/max of arguments
count{3,1,2} / sum{3,1,2} / avg{3,1,2} - count/sum/average
rand{3,1,2} - random choice from arguments
rand - pseudo-random 0-1 (time-hashed; respects step/per modifiers)
euclid{3,from:8} - Euclidean rhythm generator. euclid{3,from:8,offset:1} for rotation
sin{x} / cos{x} / tan{x} - trig functions (radians)
time - current time in beats (respects modifiers)

Node Functions

For building custom audio graphs with >> connect operator and audiosynth:

osc{'sawtooth',freq:440,phase:0} - oscillator node
const{1} - constant value node
gain{1} - gain node
delay{1/4b,feedback:...,max:1b} - delay node
panner{0} - stereo panner (-1 to 1)
sample{sample:'url',start:0s,rate:1} - sample player. Also: sample{sample:{x}->...,length:0.2s} function-generated
sample{sample:'url',loopstart:1,looplen:2} - looping sample
biquad{'lowpass',freq:440Hz,q:5} - biquad filter (lowpass/highpass/bandpass/notch/lowshelf/highshelf/peaking)
compress{ratio:0,threshold:1/316,knee:100,attack:0.01s,release:0.25s} - compressor
convolver{env:{x}->...,length:1s} - convolver reverb. Stereo: convolver{env:{l:{x}->...,r:{x}->...},length:1s}
shaper{{x}->...,samples:2,oversample:'2x'} - wave shaper ('2x', '4x', 'none')
series{...,count:2} - repeat chain in series
loop{...,feedback:...} - audio feedback loop (must contain delay)
mix{...,mix:1/2} - dry/wet mix. Also mix3 through mix8 for fixed ratios
stereo{l:...,r:...} - split/process/join stereo channels
flipper - swap L/R channels
idnode / dry / thru - pass-through node

Nodes Library (`include 'lib/nodes.limut'`)

Helper functions wrapping node functions (all args can be positional):

lpf{freq,q:5} / hpf{freq,q:5} / bpf{freq,q:5} / nf{freq,q:5} / apf{freq,q:5} - filters
lpf4{freq,q:5} - 4-pole low pass
lsf{gain,freq:1100Hz} / hsf{gain,freq:1100Hz} / pkf{gain,freq:1100Hz} - shelf/peak EQ
lfo{freq,wave:'triangle',lo:0,hi:1,phase:0} - LFO (any frequency)
osc.sin{freq} / osc.saw{freq} / osc.square{freq} / osc.tri{freq} / osc.pulse{freq} - typed oscillators
drive{amount:1/2} - overdrive waveshaper
stanh{gain:3/2} - tanh saturation (alias for shaper.tanh)
shaper.tanh{gain} / shaper.atan{gain} / shaper.poly{gain} / shaper.pow{curve} / shaper.asym{gain,bias} / shaper.diode{gain,pos,neg} - waveshapers
compressor{...} / limiter{...} - dynamics

Effects Library (`include 'lib/effects.limut'`)

Wet-path effects (wrap in mix{} for dry signal):

echo{time:1/8b,feedback:0.7,max} - echo with feedback and dry path
pingpong{time:1/4b,feedback:0.7} - stereo ping-pong delay
reverb{length:1b,curve:3} - convolution reverb
flanger{control:[0,1]l8@f,feedback:0,lo:0.0005,hi:0.007} - flanger
phaser{control:[0,1]l4@f,lo:300Hz,hi:2600Hz,stages:4,q:1/2} - phaser
shifter{ratio,length:0.03} - pitch shifter
shimmer{ratio:2,length:2s} - shimmer reverb
tape{wow:1,cut:-10db} - cassette tape effect
airverb{delay:1/2b} - airy reverb with flanger and stereo pingpong
grain{ratio,length:0.03,phase:0} - granular resynthesis grain
demon{} - demon voice effect (for vocals/mic)
ultracomb{f:...,p:...,s:...,stages:6} - ultracomb filter (growling sounds)

User Input Functions

slider{0.1} - on-screen slider. slider{name:'Foo',min:-5,max:5,curve:2}
gamepad{1} - gamepad axis (-1 to 1). gamepad{button:0} (0-1). gamepad{'lsh'} left stick horizontal. gp is alias
midi{70} - MIDI control/note (0-1). midi{36,9,1} (control 36, channel 9, port 1)
midi{'bend'} - pitch bend (-1 to 1). midi{'notes'} - chord of playing notes. midi{'vel'} - velocity

Console Commands

list - list all player base types including presets
list audio - list filtered by string

Preset Libraries

Synthwave (`include 'preset/synthwave.limut'`)

Audio: moroder, blade, laserharp, synlead, synpluck, synbass, chiparp, softpad, space, blues, basspluck, bloom, pick, softkeys, epiano, lushpad, stringpad, oxy, vambi, cybass, cydist, cyborg, hiss, blips, chime, play80s Visual: neongrid, neonbars, neonbits, neonlines, neonsine, neonheart, neonshapes, skybars, sun, sunsetsky, vhsbuffer Many support cutoff param (0-1, default 1/2). Some support decay param.

808 (`include 'preset/808.limut'`)

Individual: bd808, sd808, oh808, ch808, cb808, cp808, ma808, ht808, mt808, lt808, hc808, mc808, lc808, cl808, rs808, cy808 Combined: tr808 (all-in-one; pattern chars select sound: x/v=bd, o/i/u=sd, h/*=cp, -/:/a=ch, ==oh, ~=cy, k=cl, m=mt, t=rs, s=ma, p=mc, e=cb; ^ flag for accent), h808 (hihats; o flag for open), t808 (toms; h/l flags), c808 (congas; h/l flags)

909 (`include 'preset/909.limut'`)

Synthesized: bd909 (level, tune, attack, decay), sd909 (level, tune, tone, snappy), h909 (level, chdecay, ohdecay; o flag for open), cp909 (level), cc909 (level, tune), rc909 (level, tune), t909 (level, tune, decay; l/h flags), rs909 (level) Sampled (lighter CPU): bds909, sds909, hs909, cps909, ccs909, rcs909, ts909, rss909 All: event value gives accent.

TB-303 (`include 'preset/303.limut'`)

tb303 - acid bass. Controls: wave ('saw'/'square'), cutoff, resonance, envmod, decay, accent (all 0-1, default 1/2). Pattern flags: a accent, u up octave, d down octave, s slide. Example: b tb303 `0a2u2b0d 0u0a2d3 00u0a0d 0da4ua5a6u`, cutoff=[1/4:1]n3, resonance=0.8, accent=1

Trance (`include 'preset/trance.limut'`)

trance - classic supersaw lead (default add=(0,2)). Controls: cutoff, decay, detune (all 0-1).

Techno (`include 'preset/techno.limut'`)

Includes 909, 303, trance libraries. Audio: hollow, tinbass (cutoff), sweep (cutoff), robot, techbass (cutoff, decay), growl

House (`include 'preset/house.limut'`)

Includes 909, 303, trance libraries. Audio: m1organ (cutoff), reese (cutoff, detune), donk (cutoff, decay), didgeridoo

Available Scales

chromatic, major, minor, pentatonic/penta, minorpentatonic/minorpenta, mixolydian, dorian, phrygian, lydian, locrian, harmonicminor, harmonicmajor, melodicminor, melodicmajor, diminished, egyptian, blues, wholetone, chinese, hungarianminor, romanianminor, halfwhole, wholehalf, bebopmaj, bebopdorian, bebopdom, bebopmelmin, majorpentatonic, aeolian, dorian2, yu, zhi, prometheus, indian, locrianmajor, lydianminor, minmaj, susb9, lydianaug, lydiandom, melmin5th, halfdim, altered

Set for Groups

set (p1,p2,p3) room=0.7, echo=3/4    // apply params to multiple players
set p* amp=0                           // wildcard: all players starting with p
set !p* add+=7                         // all players NOT starting with p
set * swing=58                         // all players
set ch=[0,2,4,3]t8                     // define shared variable

Operator overrides

add+=N - add to existing value
amp*=N - multiply existing value
oct+=N - shift octave

Bus Mixing

There is an implicit main bus. Players can route to named buses:

fx bus 0, echo=1/2, room=0.5
bass dbass 0, bus=fx

Override main bus: set main echo=1/2

Genre Recipes

Techno (120-140 bpm, minor/phrygian)

set bpm=130
set scale=phrygian
kd play X., room=0.1
hh play -, echo=1/4, amp=2
sd play ..(H*)., room=0.2
db dbass 0, dur=1/4, lpf={[150:800]r,q:12}, att=0, amp=2
pad dsaw (0246), dur=8, envelope=pad, lpf=[500:3000]l16@f, oct=(3,4), amp=1/2

House (120-128 bpm, minor/dorian)

set bpm=125
set scale=minor
kd play X., room=0.1
hh play .[::], echo=1/4
sd play ..O., room=0.3
bass fmbass 0[.0][.0][0.], dur=1/2, sus=1/2, lpf={[300:800]n4,q:8}, oct=(2,3), att=0, amp=0.8
pad prophet (0246), dur=8, oct=(2,3), amp=1/2, room=0.7

Ambient (60-90 bpm, major/lydian/penta)

set bpm=70
set scale=penta
pad ethereal (024)(035), dur=4, room=2, oct=(3,4), amp=1/3, pan=[-1:1]r
pi piano 0, dur=[2,4], add=[-2:3]n1/4, amp=[0:1]n6, room=0.7, oct=5
n noise 0, dur=8, amp=1/16, lpf=[800:1200]n4, pan=(-1,1), room=2

DnB (160-180 bpm, minor)

set bpm=170
set scale=minor
kd play X..X.X.., room=0.1
sd play ..O., room=0.1
hh play -[--]-[.-], amp=2, echo=1/4
db dbass 0, dur=1/4, lpf=[200:1000]l8, att=0, oct=(1,2), amp=2

Acid (125-135 bpm, phrygian)

set bpm=127
set scale=phrygian
kd play X., room=0.1
hh play -, amp=2
b saw 00[43]-707[-32]-4, dur=1/2, oct=2, amp=2, echo=3/4, lpf={this.freq*[2:50]n4,q:25}

Synthwave (80-120 bpm, minor/phrygian)

set bpm=100
set scale=minor
kd play X.v., room=0.2
sd play ..O., room=0.2
hh play -===---=, dur=1/4, amp=2
db dbass 0, dur=1/4, lpf={[200:1400]n8,q:15}, amp=1+wow, room=0.2
pad blade (024)(035), dur=4, oct=3, add=[0,4,5,6]t8
arp synpluck 02479742, dur=1/4, echo=3/4, lpf=[500:3000]l11

Breakbeat/IDM (120-140 bpm, minor/phrygian)

set bpm=132
set * swing=58
kd play V., room=0.1
hh play [.-]-[.-][--], fold, amp=2
sd play ..*., fold, room=0.1
b saw .0, dur=1/2, oct=2, lpf={[200:1500]l8,q:12}, flanger=1/7, amp=3/2

Tips for Good Music

Layer sparingly: 4-8 players is plenty. Too many = mud.
Use filter sweeps: lpf={[300:2000]l8,q:15} adds movement and interest.
Echo/delay: echo=3/4 (dotted quarter) or echo=1/2 creates rhythmic interest.
Shared chord progressions: Define set ch=[0,2,4,3]t8 and use add=ch on multiple players.
Pan for width: Spread elements with pan=(-1,1) or pan=[-1/2:1/2]r.
Room/reverb: Use sparingly on drums (0.1-0.3), more on pads/leads (0.5-2).
Sidechain-like pumping: amp=1-kd.pulse.min makes things duck with the kick.
Build/drop structure: Use set overrides and commented lines for live arrangement.
Octave layering: oct=(2,3) or oct=(3,4,5) for thickness.
wow for organic movement: addc=wow adds subtle pitch drift to pads/leads.
Swing: set * swing=58 gives a nice groove (50=straight, 66=heavy triplet swing).
Amp variation: amp=[0:1]n4 for perlin noise dynamics, amp=[]r for random.
Chop/gate: chop=2 or chop=4 for rhythmic gating on pads.
Follow: dsf dsquare follow ds - layer the same pattern with a different synth.

Production Idioms (from real pieces)

Mastering chain on `main` bus

Almost every finished piece ends with one of these on set main:

set main compress={2,gain:2}, drive=1/32                     // gentle glue + warmth
set main compress={2,gain:2}, drive=1/64, reverb={1,mix:1/4} // + tail
set main compress={3/2,gain:3/2}, drive=1/96, amp=3/2        // heavy techno glue

drive 1/96 → 1/16 trades subtle warmth for audible saturation. compress ratio 2-3 with gain:2-3 is the sweet spot.

Multi-bus organization (techno/house template)

Separate buses per stem so each can be shaped independently:

set p* bus='bp'                                 // all perc → bp
set !p* bus='blead'                              // everything else → blead
bp bus 0, compress={2,gain:2}, drive=1/32, amp=2/3
blead bus 0, compress={2,gain:2}, reverb={2,mix:1/3}, amp=1/2

Common bus names: bp/bperc, bb/bbass, blead/bl, be (external).

Sparse delay idiom (`delay|=[...]t[N,M]`)

Adds occasional delay throws without changing every event:

set p* delay|=[(),[1,3]r/4]t[14,2]    // 14 bars dry, 2 bars random throws
set p* delay|=[(),[1,3,5]r/4]t[13,3]
delay=[0,(0,[1/4,3/4]r)]t[7,1]        // single-player form

|= (concat-assign) appends to existing delay rather than overwriting.

Pattern variation with `crop` and `+`

b reese 0_7 crop 14 + 89             // 14 beats of 0_7, then 89
ps sd909 ..0 crop 16
t trance 72. crop 14 + 89

Sidechain-style ducking via `pulse`

amp=2/3+kd.pulse.0/3                       // pad swells with kick
contrast=3-2*bs.pulse.max                   // visual reacts to bass
zoom=1+smooth{main.pulse,att:1/2,dec:1/2}   // smoothed pulse for visuals

Visual + buffer feedback (canonical setup)

vk kal 1, buffer='vb', blend=max, contrast=3, fore=neonpink
vb buffer 0, feedback={fore:0.95,zoom:1.01,rotate:0.001}

Common feedback knobs: fore:0.85-0.97 (decay), zoom:1.001-1.05, rotate, ripple, scroll, mirror. Reactive: feedback={fore:0.85+0.15*pk.pulse.0,zoom:1.02}.

Webcam + recolor

vw webcam 0, vignette=0, buffer='vb', recol=neon, blend=max
vb buffer 0, loc=tile_tr, feedback={fore:0.9,zoom:1.02}

VHS retro look

v kal 0, vhs, vignette={1/2,aspect:4/3}, contrast
vb vhsbuffer 0, feedback={fore:0.85}

Build/drop arrangement via `riser`

riser is typically a slider ramp. Pieces stash a "drop" block as comments:

// set (b*,p*) hpf=10000-10000*riser^3    // sweep filters open
// set t cutoff=riser^3                    // open lead filter
// f sd909 2, level=riser^6                 // snare roll fades in

Define with set riser=slider{0,name:'Riser'}.

Euclidean rhythms

ph h909 0, o=euclid{16,from:[19,23]t4}-1     // open-hat pattern
b tb303 0, amp=euclid{32,from:53}-7/8         // sparse 303 line
o m1organ 0, dur=euclid{7,from:16}/4          // polymeter via dur

One-shots with `now ... loop 1`

boom play now [(vx)(vX)(VXM)] loop 1, room=2, echo=0.46
whoosh dsaw now (047) loop 1, envelope=simple, att=1/2, rel=3

now starts on next beat (not beat 0); loop 1 plays once.

Layered delay copies via subparams

Layer a delayed copy with different params on the same event:

delay=(0,{1/4,oct:3})                     // dry + delayed-up-an-octave
delay=(0,{3/4,oct:2,addc:19})             // detuned/octave-shifted
delay=(0,{1/2,add:1,stutter:2})           // multiple overrides

Shared chord progressions via `set ch=...`

set ch=[(0,2,4,7),(0,3,5,7),(1,3,5b,7),(1,3,4,6#)]t4
p dsaw 0, add=ch, glide=2/3
l sine 0, add=ch.rand, oct=5      // .rand picks a voice
b bass 0, add=ch.0                 // .0 picks first voice

Non-percussion targeting with `set !p*`

set !p* add+=[2,-1,1,0]t4
set !p* bus='blead'

Drum preset notes

909 synth (bd909, sd909, h909, cp909, t909, rs909, cc909, rc909): pass attack flag to bd909 for pitch-envelope click. Params: level, tune, decay, tone, snappy.
909 sampled (bds909, sds909, hs909, cps909, ts909, rss909, ccs909, rcs909): much lighter CPU — prefer for dense patterns.
h909/hs909: pattern char o = open hat. Drum char letters in patterns also pick variations.
tb303 flags: a=accent, u=up oct, d=down oct, s=slide.

Live-coding scaffold

Typical improv file:

include 'preset/synthwave.limut'        // or techno/house
set scale=minor
set bpm=120
set main compress={2,gain:2}, drive=1/64

vk kal 0, buffer='vb', blend=max, contrast
vb buffer 0, feedback={fore:0.95,zoom:1.01}

pk bd909 0..., attack
ph h909 ..0, swing=54
ps sd909 ..0., swing=58

b tb303 0, cutoff=[0:1]n4, resonance=7/8

// l trance 0_7, decay=5, reverb=2          // bring in lead
// pad softpad (024), dur=4
// set (p*,b) amp=0                         // drop block
// set t cutoff=riser^3

name	write-music
description	write limut DSL code to produce music in a style requested by the user

Write limut DSL code to produce music. Read the CLAUDE.md in the project root for full DSL reference. Below are practical patterns learned from examples.limut and the full index.html documentation.

Structure of a Piece

A piece typically has:

set bpm=N (common: 80-150)
set scale=NAME (minor, phrygian, dorian, mixolydian, lydian, penta, major, etc.)
Optional set root=N to transpose
Drum/percussion players
Bass player
Harmonic/pad players
Lead/melody players
Optional visuals (v lines)
Optional set ch=... for shared chord progressions

Each line defines one player: ID TYPE PATTERN, param=value, param=value

Limut is case insensitive; piano, Piano, and PIANO are all treated the same.

Basic Syntax

Comments

// line comment
/* ... */ block comment

Commands

id synth pattern, params - define a player
set id params - override player params
set var=value - set global var
preset name synth, params - create a synth preset
include 'url' - include a limut source file

Multi-line commands

Commands can span multiple lines. A new command starts when the beginning of a line matches set , preset , or id type pattern.

Drum Patterns

Use play type with letter patterns. Each character is a 1-beat hit; . is rest.

Play Samples (full list)

Each letter maps to a sample folder. Multiple samples exist per letter (selected via sample=N).

Char	Sound	Char	Sound
`x`	Bass drum	`X`	Heavy kick
`v`	Soft kick	`V`	Hard kick
`o`	Snare drum	`O`	Heavy snare
`u`	Soft snare	`i`	Jungle snare
`I`	Rock snare	`D`	Dirty snare
`-`	Hi hat closed	`=`	Hi hat open
`:`	Hi-hats	`+`	Clicks
`*`	Clap	`H`	Clap
`h`	Finger snaps	`#`	Crash
`~`	Ride cymbal	`s`	Shaker
`S`	Tambourine	`t`	Rimshot
`T`	Cowbell	`e`	Electronic Cowbell
`k`	Wood shaker	`K`	Percussive hits
`l`	Robot noise	`L`	Noisy percussive hits
`m`	808 toms	`M`	Acoustic toms
`r`	Metal	`R`	Metallic
`p`	Tabla	`P`	Tabla long
`d`	Woodblock	`n`	Noise
`a`	Gameboy hihat	`A`	Gameboy kick drum
`b`	Noisy beep	`B`	Short saw
`c`	Voice/string	`C`	Choral
`E`	Ringing percussion	`f`	Pops
`F`	Trumpet stabs	`g`	Ominous
`G`	Ambient stabs	`J`	Ambient stabs
`N`	Gameboy SFX	`w`	Dub hits
`W`	Distorted	`y`	Percussive hits
`Y`	High buzz	`z`	Scratch
`Z`	Loud stabs	`q`	Ambient stabs
`Q`	Electronic stabs	`U`	Misc. Fx
`\|`	Hangdrum	`/`	Reverse sounds
`\`	Lazer	`%`	Noise bursts
`$`	Beatbox	`@`	Gameboy noise
`&`	Chime	`!`	Yeah!
`1`	Vocals (One)	`2`	Vocals (Two)
`3`	Vocals (Three)	`4`	Vocals (Four)

Typical drum patterns

kd play X., room=0.1                           // four-on-floor kick
kd play (Xv)., room=0.1                        // kick with ghost note chord
kd play X..X.X.., room=0.1                     // syncopated kick
sd play ..O., room=0.1                         // backbeat snare
sd play ..(OH*)., room=0.2                     // snare with clap layer
hh play -, echo=1/4, amp=2                     // 8th note hats
hh play -[--]-[.-], fold, amp=2               // breakbeat-style hats
hh play .[::], echo=1/8                       // hat pattern with tight hats

Pattern Syntax

Brackets in patterns

(...) = chord (play all simultaneously)
[...] = subsequence (fit multiple events into one dur)
<...> = supersequence (cycle through alternatives each pattern repeat)

Examples:

X<...[.v]> = first time X then ..., second time X then .v
[XX] = two kicks in one beat (double time)
(OH) = snare and clap together

Pattern modifiers

. = rest (silence)
_ = continuation/tie (extends previous note, NOT rest)
0# = sharp
0b = flat
0= = extend duration by 50%
0! = shorten duration by 33%
0^ = 50% louder
0v = 33% quieter
x^ = 50% louder (non-numeric, for play synth)
0a = other chars after digits become params; eg t tri 01g23, glide=this.g/2

Pattern literal

`01 23` = backtick pattern literal; whitespace is ignored, contents treated as literal

Pattern operators

01 loop 2 = play pattern only N times then stop
0123 crop 2 = crop pattern to N steps (repeats if needed)
1 + 2 = concatenate two patterns
1 * 2 = repeat pattern N times
now 01 = play starting on next beat instead of from beat 0
follow p1 = follow another player's pattern
gamepad = generate notes from gamepad controller
midi = generate notes from MIDI controller

Audio Synth Types

Basic oscillators

play - sample player (letters/symbols for samples). Duration defaults to 1/2
perc - sampled percussion. Duration defaults to 1/4, has choke group
saw - sawtooth wave, oct=4
sine - sine wave, oct=4
square - square wave, oct=4
tri - triangle wave, oct=4
pulse - pulse wave, oct=3
wave - waveform specified by wave param
ping - sine wave ping, oct=5, simple envelope
noise - white noise pad (AudioWorklet)

Detuned variants (thicker sound)

dsaw - detuned sawtooth, oct=4
dsine - detuned sine pad, oct=4
dsquare - detuned square, oct=4
dtri - detuned triangle, oct=4
dbass - detuned sawtooth bass, oct=2
dpulse - detuned pulse, oct=3
dwave - detuned waveform specified by wave param
swell - detuned triangle pad, oct=4

FM synthesis

fm - FM base synth; configure operators with op1 to op6 params
- op1={ratio:5.19,target:3,wave:'saw',depth:0.8,att:0.01,rel:0.1}
fmbass - FM bass, oct=2
bell - FM bell
glock - FM glockenspiel, oct=4
glass - FM glass/chime, oct=5
xylo - FM xylophone, oct=4
ethereal - FM pad, oct=5
epiano - DX7-style electric piano

Complex synths

audiosynth - base type; use play param for custom audio node graph
piano - sampled piano
pwm - pulse width modulation (AudioWorklet). pwm=1/2 for pulse width
prophet - PWM with LFO pulse-width (AudioWorklet)
supersaw - 7-oscillator supersaw lead, oct=4
ambi - ambient drone, multiple sines
multiwave - multiple oscillators: wave1={'saw',amp:[0:1]n,detune:wow}
pitchedperc - synthesised percussion (click/hit/body/rattle components)
- click={1}, hit={0,sample:'^',index:1,rate:3/2}
- body={1,att:5ms,dec:400ms,freq:55hz,boost:150hz,wave:'sine',saturation:0}
- rattle={1,att:0ms,dec:30ms,rate:1,filter:'lowpass',freq:55hz,boost:205hz,q:18}
bd - preset kick drum based on pitchedperc. Params: accent, tone, tune=55
io808 - TR-808 simulation. type='bd' selects sound. Params: level, tone, decay, snappy, tuning
impulse - single pulse
sample - pitched sample player. Use sample param for URL, start for playback offset
external - microphone/line input. track=1, channel=1
crackle - crackly sounds
noisefloor - slowly varying noise floor
bus - audio mix bus (plays continuously, all params per-frame). Implicit main bus exists

Special synths

! / stop / none - stop/remove a player

Melodic Patterns

Scale degrees (0-indexed): 0 = root, 1 = 2nd, 2 = 3rd, etc. Negative numbers go down.

// Melodic bass line
db dbass 0[.0][10]_, dur=1/2, lpf=[200:2000]s8, att=0, oct=(1,2)

// Arpeggio
arp dsaw 02435167, dur=1/2, sus=1/4, echo=3/4, lpf={[500:1500]l7,q:22}, att=0

// Chord stab
stab dsaw (0246), dur=[3,3,2]/4, att=0, sus=1/4, echo=3/4, lpf={[500:1700]l5,q:20}

// Pad
pad ethereal (024)(035), dur=4, room=0.7, oct=4

Value Syntax

Basic structure: value{modifiers}@interval

Numeric values

1 - constant number
0dB - decibel value (converted to gain; 0dB=1, +6dB~~2, -6dB~~0.5, -20dB~0.1)
100ms - milliseconds; 1s - seconds; 1Hz/1cps - Hertz; 1kHz = 1000Hz
1b - beats; 1cpb - cycles per beat; 1kcpb = 1000cpb; 1cpm - cycles per minute
Missing value on param = 1 (eg monochrome same as monochrome=1)

Sequences and timevars

[1,2] - sequence, one per event
[] - equivalent to [0,1]
[1,2]t3 - timed sequence, each value lasts 3 beats
[1:12,2:4]t - timed sequence with variable timing per value
[0:3]t1 - expanded timed sequence = [0,1,2,3]t1
[1,2]l3 - linear interpolated sequence over 3 beats
[1:12,2:4]l - linear interpolated with variable timing
[1,2]s3 - smooth (S-curve) interpolated sequence over 3 beats
[1,2]e - interpolated over event duration
[1,2]e1 - interpolated starting at event start, 1 beat per value
[0:!300ms,1:_[1/4b:1/2b]r,0]e - piecewise envelope with mixed timing
[1:!200ms,0]e@s - segment-based (more accurate timing for envelopes)

Random and noise

[]r - random 0 to 1 each event
[1,4,7]r - random choice from list
[:9]r or [0:9]r - random float from range
[0,1:7]r - weighted random (1 is 7x more likely than 0)
[1,2]r4 - random, hold for 4 beats
[1:3]r{seed:1,per:4} - deterministic seeded random
[]n - smooth Perlin noise 0 to 1
[1:2]n4 - noise between 1-2, period ~4 beats
[]n{seed:1,per:4} - deterministic noise

Piecewise series

[v1:i1t1, v2:i2t2, ...]{p, repeat:0} - interpolate between values with custom control parameter

Interpolation operators: :/ :\ linear, :_ const/step, :~ smooth bezier, :! exponential, :^4: power curve

Arithmetic

+, -, *, /, %, ^ (power), - (unary minus)

Chords

(1,2,4) - play simultaneously
| - concatenate chords: 1|2 = (1,2), (1,2)|(3,4) = (1,2,3,4)

Conditionals

?? - "if then": this.foo??5 returns 5 if foo is truthy, nothing if not (short circuits)
?: - "or else": this.foo?:5 returns foo if present, else 5 (short circuits)
Ternary: this.foo>1 ?? 2 ?: 3

Comparisons

==, !=, <, >, <=, >=

Maps

{x:0,y:1} - map with key-value pairs
{2,y:1} - map with main value plus subparams (eg chop={2,wave:'tri'})
Colours: {r:0,g:1,b:0,a:1} (RGBA), {h:1,s:1,v:1,a:1} (HSV), {labh:1,c:1,l:1} (LabLCH)
Hex colours: #f00f (RGBA short), #ff0000ff (RGBA long), #f00 / #ff0000 (RGB, alpha=1)
'abc' - string value (single line; use \n for line breaks)

Lookups (dot operator)

p1.amp - player param lookup (returns chord of all playing events)
p1.amp.0 - chord index (wraps around)
p1.pulse.max - chord aggregator: max, min, first, last, rand, count, sum, avg
this.value - current event param
this.freq - current note frequency
{foo:2}.foo - map field lookup
([0,1]t1@f).accum - smoothly accumulate values

Modifiers

{time:time*2+8} - modify the time expression
{per:8} - repeat sequence every 8 beats
{per:8,0:7,2:3} - force values at specific beat positions within repeat
{step:1/2} - advance time in discrete steps
Note: modifier and interval order can be swapped: []r@f{seed:1} = []r{seed:1}@f

Intervals

@e - evaluate once per event
@f - evaluate per frame (~60fps) for smooth animation
Interval applies to nearest value: this.foo@e applies @e to foo only; use (this.foo)@e for the whole lookup

Variable lookup

foo - lookup global var named foo; returns string 'foo' if no var exists
foo{x:2} - call var as function with named params

Common Event Params

Timing

dur=N - duration in beats (1/4=16th, 1/2=8th, 1=quarter, 2=half, 4=whole)
dur=[3,3,2]/4 - common shuffle/swing pattern
delay=N - event start time offset in beats
delay={1/2,add:2} - delay with param overrides on delayed events
stutter=N - split event into N evenly-spaced sub-events
swing=N - swing amount (50=straight, 58-66=swung, 75=max dotted)
swing={66,period:1/2} - swing with custom period (default 1/4)

Volume

amp - player amplitude (defaults to event vel)
vel - event velocity (default 3/4; controls amp and usually brightness)

READ ONLY params

voice - voice index within a chord
time - current time in beats this event has been playing
idx - pattern index of this event
exists - 1 if player is defined
playing - 1 if player is currently sounding
pulse - rise/fall value as note plays (pre-multiplied by vel)
player - name of current player
freq - note frequency in Hz (set by tonal synths)

Other

rate - playback rate for samples, animation rate for visuals

Audio Params

Envelope

att - attack time (default unit: beats). att=0 for sharp attack
dec - decay time
sus - sustain time. sus={level:0.5} for sustain level (default 0.8)
rel - release time
envelope - type: 'full' (ADSR), 'simple' (ADR), 'organ' (ASR), 'pad' (cosine crossfade), 'linpad' (linear crossfade), 'percussion' (R only). Or custom expression: envelope=[1:!300ms,0]e@s

Pitch & Tuning

oct=N - octave (1=sub bass, 2=bass, 3=low, 4=mid, 5=high)
oct=(2,3) - chord across octaves
add=N - add scale degrees to pitch (per-event only)
add={0,#:1} - sharpen; add={0,b:1} - flatten
addc=N - add continuous semitones (per-frame, fractional). addc=wow for pitch drift
detune=N - oscillator detuning in semitones
vib=RATE - vibrato rate (default unit: cpb)
vib={2,depth:1} - vibrato depth in semitones (default 0.4)
vib={2,delay:1} - delay before vibrato starts (default 1/2 beat)
glide=N - portamento time in beats. glide={1/3,curve:4} for curve shape (default curve:1)
root=N - override root for this player only
scale=NAME - override scale for this player

Filter

lpf=FREQ - low pass filter. lpf={400,q:20} for resonance (default q:5). lpf={400,poles:4} for 24dB/oct
hpf=FREQ - high pass filter. Same subparams as lpf
bpf={FREQ,q:20} - band pass filter (default q:1). Multiple parallel: bpf1, bpf2 etc
nf={FREQ,q:20} - notch filter (default q:1)
apf1={FREQ,q:2} - allpass filter. Multiple apf1, apf2 etc (parallel, allowing phase cancellation)
psf={f1:300,f2:2300,q:0.7} - phaser stage filter. Multiple psf1, psf2 etc (series)
low=-6dB - low shelf EQ. low={-8db,freq:400} (default freq:200Hz)
mid=-6dB - mid EQ. mid={-8db,freq:400,q:10} (default freq:600Hz, q:5)
high=-6dB - high shelf EQ. high={-8db,freq:400} (default freq:1100Hz)
Filter sweep: lpf={[200:2000]l8,q:15}

Effects

room=N - freeverb (0.1-2). room={2,hpf:300,mix:1/4} (default mix:1/2)
reverb=N - convolution reverb duration in beats. reverb={2,curve:3,hpf:300,mix:1/4} (default mix:1/2, curve:5)
echo=TIME - echo delay. echo={1,feedback:0.8} (default feedback:0.35). Bus echo: echo={1,max:2}
chorus=N - stereo chorus. chorus={1,mix:1/4}
phaser=RATE - phaser (default unit: cpb). phaser={1/3,mix:1/4}
flanger=RATE - flanger (default unit: cpb). flanger={1/3,mix:1/4}
chop=N - tremolo/gating (default unit: cpb). chop={2,wave:'triangle',mix:1/4} (waves: sine, square, triangle, saw)
ring=FREQ - ring modulation (default unit: Hz). ring={32,wave:'saw',mix:1/4} (default wave: triangle)
drive=N - overdrive/soft clip (1/32=gentle, 1/4=distortion, 1=fuzz). drive={1,gain:2,mix:1/4}
fold=N - wavefolder. fold={1,gain:2,mix:1/4}
clip=N - hard clipping. clip={1,gain:2,mix:1/4}
noisify=N - distort into noise. noisify={1,gain:2,mix:1/4}
bits=N - bitcrusher (1=very distorted, 32=clean, 0=off). bits={4,gain:2,mix:1/4}
suck=N - scale down small amplitudes (gated tail effect). suck={1,gain:2,mix:1/4}
compress=RATIO - compression. compress={12,gain:2,threshold:-40dB,knee:10dB,att:0.1,rel:0.2}

Spatial

pan=N - stereo position (-1 to 1)
pan=(-1,1) - hard pan left and right
mono - force signal to mono

Other audio params

choke=GROUP - choke group (string); notes cut off others in same group across players
sample=N - with play: choose sample set. With sample synth: URL of audio file
sample={32,pitch:261.6} - specify original sample pitch (default 261.6Hz = C4)
start=N - sample playback start time (default unit: seconds)
wave=NAME - waveform: sine, square, sawtooth/saw, triangle/tri, pulse, plus many more: ah, bass, brass, buzzy, celeste, ethnic, organ, piano, trombone, wurlitzer, etc. (hyphenated names need quotes)
bus=ID - mix to specified bus player (default: main)
cutoff - filter cutoff 0-1 (for presets that support it)
resonance - filter resonance (for presets that support it)

Visual Synths

blank - solid colour
clouds - moving clouds
kal - kaleidoscope
swirl - psychedelic swirl
julia - Julia set fractal
lines - twisting lines
blob - morphing 3D blob
streetlight - passing streetlights
grid - square grid
glow - additive glow
stars - exploding stars
bits - bitwise fractal patterns
xor - bitwise xor patterns
gradient - simple y gradient
shadertoy - shadertoy shader (use id param; must be public+api)
image - online image (use url param; must support CORS)
webcam - webcam feed. device param for device index/label. width/height for resolution
text - text display. text={'Hello',font:'times',size:'144',linesize:0.7,y:1/4,x:2/3,style:'bold italic'}
buffer - render target. Other synths render into it with buffer=ID
scope - audio waveform display
scopefft - frequency spectrum display
readout - digital value display
dmx - DMX lighting output. channel, set, lights, addl, mul, min, max params

Visual Params

add - add to pattern value
zorder - draw order (default: line number / 1000)
fade - brightness fadeout
time - override shader time (default unit: beats; overrides rate and sway)
rate - shader time progression rate
pulse - audio signal effect on visual value
sway - audio signal effect on visual time
loc - position/size: {x:0,y:0,w:2,h:2} for fullscreen. Coords: (-1,-1) bottom-left to (1,1) top-right
window - display only portion matching screen position
scroll - scroll shader: {x:0,y:0}
repeat - repeat shader section. repeat={1/2,x:0.1,y:-0.05}
zoom - zoom: {x:1,y:1}
rotate - rotation in full turns (1/2 = 180 degrees)
mirror=N - number of mirror planes. mirror={10,rotate:1/4,fan:1}
fore - foreground colour
mid - middleground colour (defaults to midway between fore and back)
back - background colour
pixellate=N - pixellate to N pixels in x. pixellate={10,y:20}
perspective=N - perspective warp (negative to invert). perspective={-1,shade:1/2}
tunnel - tunnel/slitscan warp
ripple - ripple distortion. ripple={1,scale:1/4}
additive - additive blend
blend - blend mode: additive, subtractive, average, multiply, invert, min, max
monochrome - 0=normal, 1=monochrome
vignette - edge fadeout. vignette={1/2,aspect:4/3,cutoff:0.95}
vhs - VHS tape effect
recol - recolour: oil, hue, fire, sunset, neon, titanium
contrast - power contrast curve (0=none)
buffer=ID - render to a buffer synth
rez=N - buffer render target resolution scale (default 1/2)
feedback - buffer video feedback. feedback={zoom:1.01,ripple:1/32,contrast:0.005}

Main Vars (set, not readable)

bpm - beats per minute (resets unless set every update)
scale - scale name (resets unless set every update)
root - root pitch offset in semitones (fractional OK for tuning nudges)
beat.readouts - beat counter display: beat.readouts=(3,12) (default: (12,16,32), max 3)

Predefined Vars

time - current time in beats
wow - smooth random pitch drift for analog feel; eg addc=wow
tg - trance gate signal (flips on/off every quarter beat)
drop6_2 through drop63_1 - predefined on/off drop patterns (eg [1,0]t[6,2])
tile_full, tile_tl/tr/bl/br/m, tile_h1-h5, tile_v1-v5 - visual locations
fullscreen - full screen tile
tile_random/tile_rand - random location tile
sparkle - small random location tile
droplet - small tile falling down screen
spark - small tile flying outwards
gravity - accelerating downward motion (combine: spark+gravity)
firefly - random insect-like motion
Colours: transparent, black, darkgray, gray, lightgray, white, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet, neonpink, neongreen
random - random colour
rainbow - colour cycling through rainbow

Functions

abs{-1} - absolute value
sign{-1} / sgn - sign (-1, 0, 1)
pitch{1} - frequency for scale degree. pitch{4#} sharp. pitch{0,oct:3,scale:minor,root:2}
eventpitch{} - frequency based on current event params
floor{1.5} / ceil{1.2} / round{1.7} - rounding. floor{1.7,to:1/2} rounds to precision
accum{1} - accumulate value over time (only rises)
smooth{[]r@f} - smooth a value. smooth{x,att:4,dec:4} or smooth{x,2} combined rate
rate{[0:1]l1@f} - rate of change in units per beat
first{3,1,2} / last{3,1,2} - first/last argument
min{3,1,2} / max{3,1,2} - min/max of arguments
count{3,1,2} / sum{3,1,2} / avg{3,1,2} - count/sum/average
rand{3,1,2} - random choice from arguments
rand - pseudo-random 0-1 (time-hashed; respects step/per modifiers)
euclid{3,from:8} - Euclidean rhythm generator. euclid{3,from:8,offset:1} for rotation
sin{x} / cos{x} / tan{x} - trig functions (radians)
time - current time in beats (respects modifiers)

Node Functions

For building custom audio graphs with >> connect operator and audiosynth:

osc{'sawtooth',freq:440,phase:0} - oscillator node
const{1} - constant value node
gain{1} - gain node
delay{1/4b,feedback:...,max:1b} - delay node
panner{0} - stereo panner (-1 to 1)
sample{sample:'url',start:0s,rate:1} - sample player. Also: sample{sample:{x}->...,length:0.2s} function-generated
sample{sample:'url',loopstart:1,looplen:2} - looping sample
biquad{'lowpass',freq:440Hz,q:5} - biquad filter (lowpass/highpass/bandpass/notch/lowshelf/highshelf/peaking)
compress{ratio:0,threshold:1/316,knee:100,attack:0.01s,release:0.25s} - compressor
convolver{env:{x}->...,length:1s} - convolver reverb. Stereo: convolver{env:{l:{x}->...,r:{x}->...},length:1s}
shaper{{x}->...,samples:2,oversample:'2x'} - wave shaper ('2x', '4x', 'none')
series{...,count:2} - repeat chain in series
loop{...,feedback:...} - audio feedback loop (must contain delay)
mix{...,mix:1/2} - dry/wet mix. Also mix3 through mix8 for fixed ratios
stereo{l:...,r:...} - split/process/join stereo channels
flipper - swap L/R channels
idnode / dry / thru - pass-through node

Nodes Library (`include 'lib/nodes.limut'`)

Helper functions wrapping node functions (all args can be positional):

lpf{freq,q:5} / hpf{freq,q:5} / bpf{freq,q:5} / nf{freq,q:5} / apf{freq,q:5} - filters
lpf4{freq,q:5} - 4-pole low pass
lsf{gain,freq:1100Hz} / hsf{gain,freq:1100Hz} / pkf{gain,freq:1100Hz} - shelf/peak EQ
lfo{freq,wave:'triangle',lo:0,hi:1,phase:0} - LFO (any frequency)
osc.sin{freq} / osc.saw{freq} / osc.square{freq} / osc.tri{freq} / osc.pulse{freq} - typed oscillators
drive{amount:1/2} - overdrive waveshaper
stanh{gain:3/2} - tanh saturation (alias for shaper.tanh)
shaper.tanh{gain} / shaper.atan{gain} / shaper.poly{gain} / shaper.pow{curve} / shaper.asym{gain,bias} / shaper.diode{gain,pos,neg} - waveshapers
compressor{...} / limiter{...} - dynamics

Effects Library (`include 'lib/effects.limut'`)

Wet-path effects (wrap in mix{} for dry signal):

echo{time:1/8b,feedback:0.7,max} - echo with feedback and dry path
pingpong{time:1/4b,feedback:0.7} - stereo ping-pong delay
reverb{length:1b,curve:3} - convolution reverb
flanger{control:[0,1]l8@f,feedback:0,lo:0.0005,hi:0.007} - flanger
phaser{control:[0,1]l4@f,lo:300Hz,hi:2600Hz,stages:4,q:1/2} - phaser
shifter{ratio,length:0.03} - pitch shifter
shimmer{ratio:2,length:2s} - shimmer reverb
tape{wow:1,cut:-10db} - cassette tape effect
airverb{delay:1/2b} - airy reverb with flanger and stereo pingpong
grain{ratio,length:0.03,phase:0} - granular resynthesis grain
demon{} - demon voice effect (for vocals/mic)
ultracomb{f:...,p:...,s:...,stages:6} - ultracomb filter (growling sounds)

User Input Functions

slider{0.1} - on-screen slider. slider{name:'Foo',min:-5,max:5,curve:2}
gamepad{1} - gamepad axis (-1 to 1). gamepad{button:0} (0-1). gamepad{'lsh'} left stick horizontal. gp is alias
midi{70} - MIDI control/note (0-1). midi{36,9,1} (control 36, channel 9, port 1)
midi{'bend'} - pitch bend (-1 to 1). midi{'notes'} - chord of playing notes. midi{'vel'} - velocity

Console Commands

list - list all player base types including presets
list audio - list filtered by string

Preset Libraries

Synthwave (`include 'preset/synthwave.limut'`)

808 (`include 'preset/808.limut'`)

909 (`include 'preset/909.limut'`)

TB-303 (`include 'preset/303.limut'`)

Trance (`include 'preset/trance.limut'`)

trance - classic supersaw lead (default add=(0,2)). Controls: cutoff, decay, detune (all 0-1).

Techno (`include 'preset/techno.limut'`)

Includes 909, 303, trance libraries. Audio: hollow, tinbass (cutoff), sweep (cutoff), robot, techbass (cutoff, decay), growl

House (`include 'preset/house.limut'`)

Includes 909, 303, trance libraries. Audio: m1organ (cutoff), reese (cutoff, detune), donk (cutoff, decay), didgeridoo

Available Scales

Set for Groups

set (p1,p2,p3) room=0.7, echo=3/4    // apply params to multiple players
set p* amp=0                           // wildcard: all players starting with p
set !p* add+=7                         // all players NOT starting with p
set * swing=58                         // all players
set ch=[0,2,4,3]t8                     // define shared variable

Operator overrides

add+=N - add to existing value
amp*=N - multiply existing value
oct+=N - shift octave

Bus Mixing

There is an implicit main bus. Players can route to named buses:

fx bus 0, echo=1/2, room=0.5
bass dbass 0, bus=fx

Override main bus: set main echo=1/2

Genre Recipes

Techno (120-140 bpm, minor/phrygian)

set bpm=130
set scale=phrygian
kd play X., room=0.1
hh play -, echo=1/4, amp=2
sd play ..(H*)., room=0.2
db dbass 0, dur=1/4, lpf={[150:800]r,q:12}, att=0, amp=2
pad dsaw (0246), dur=8, envelope=pad, lpf=[500:3000]l16@f, oct=(3,4), amp=1/2

House (120-128 bpm, minor/dorian)

set bpm=125
set scale=minor
kd play X., room=0.1
hh play .[::], echo=1/4
sd play ..O., room=0.3
bass fmbass 0[.0][.0][0.], dur=1/2, sus=1/2, lpf={[300:800]n4,q:8}, oct=(2,3), att=0, amp=0.8
pad prophet (0246), dur=8, oct=(2,3), amp=1/2, room=0.7

Ambient (60-90 bpm, major/lydian/penta)

set bpm=70
set scale=penta
pad ethereal (024)(035), dur=4, room=2, oct=(3,4), amp=1/3, pan=[-1:1]r
pi piano 0, dur=[2,4], add=[-2:3]n1/4, amp=[0:1]n6, room=0.7, oct=5
n noise 0, dur=8, amp=1/16, lpf=[800:1200]n4, pan=(-1,1), room=2

DnB (160-180 bpm, minor)

set bpm=170
set scale=minor
kd play X..X.X.., room=0.1
sd play ..O., room=0.1
hh play -[--]-[.-], amp=2, echo=1/4
db dbass 0, dur=1/4, lpf=[200:1000]l8, att=0, oct=(1,2), amp=2

Acid (125-135 bpm, phrygian)

set bpm=127
set scale=phrygian
kd play X., room=0.1
hh play -, amp=2
b saw 00[43]-707[-32]-4, dur=1/2, oct=2, amp=2, echo=3/4, lpf={this.freq*[2:50]n4,q:25}

Synthwave (80-120 bpm, minor/phrygian)

set bpm=100
set scale=minor
kd play X.v., room=0.2
sd play ..O., room=0.2
hh play -===---=, dur=1/4, amp=2
db dbass 0, dur=1/4, lpf={[200:1400]n8,q:15}, amp=1+wow, room=0.2
pad blade (024)(035), dur=4, oct=3, add=[0,4,5,6]t8
arp synpluck 02479742, dur=1/4, echo=3/4, lpf=[500:3000]l11

Breakbeat/IDM (120-140 bpm, minor/phrygian)

set bpm=132
set * swing=58
kd play V., room=0.1
hh play [.-]-[.-][--], fold, amp=2
sd play ..*., fold, room=0.1
b saw .0, dur=1/2, oct=2, lpf={[200:1500]l8,q:12}, flanger=1/7, amp=3/2

Tips for Good Music

Layer sparingly: 4-8 players is plenty. Too many = mud.
Use filter sweeps: lpf={[300:2000]l8,q:15} adds movement and interest.
Echo/delay: echo=3/4 (dotted quarter) or echo=1/2 creates rhythmic interest.
Shared chord progressions: Define set ch=[0,2,4,3]t8 and use add=ch on multiple players.
Pan for width: Spread elements with pan=(-1,1) or pan=[-1/2:1/2]r.
Room/reverb: Use sparingly on drums (0.1-0.3), more on pads/leads (0.5-2).
Sidechain-like pumping: amp=1-kd.pulse.min makes things duck with the kick.
Build/drop structure: Use set overrides and commented lines for live arrangement.
Octave layering: oct=(2,3) or oct=(3,4,5) for thickness.
wow for organic movement: addc=wow adds subtle pitch drift to pads/leads.
Swing: set * swing=58 gives a nice groove (50=straight, 66=heavy triplet swing).
Amp variation: amp=[0:1]n4 for perlin noise dynamics, amp=[]r for random.
Chop/gate: chop=2 or chop=4 for rhythmic gating on pads.
Follow: dsf dsquare follow ds - layer the same pattern with a different synth.

Production Idioms (from real pieces)

Mastering chain on `main` bus

Almost every finished piece ends with one of these on set main:

set main compress={2,gain:2}, drive=1/32                     // gentle glue + warmth
set main compress={2,gain:2}, drive=1/64, reverb={1,mix:1/4} // + tail
set main compress={3/2,gain:3/2}, drive=1/96, amp=3/2        // heavy techno glue

drive 1/96 → 1/16 trades subtle warmth for audible saturation. compress ratio 2-3 with gain:2-3 is the sweet spot.

Multi-bus organization (techno/house template)

Separate buses per stem so each can be shaped independently:

set p* bus='bp'                                 // all perc → bp
set !p* bus='blead'                              // everything else → blead
bp bus 0, compress={2,gain:2}, drive=1/32, amp=2/3
blead bus 0, compress={2,gain:2}, reverb={2,mix:1/3}, amp=1/2

Common bus names: bp/bperc, bb/bbass, blead/bl, be (external).

Sparse delay idiom (`delay|=[...]t[N,M]`)

Adds occasional delay throws without changing every event:

set p* delay|=[(),[1,3]r/4]t[14,2]    // 14 bars dry, 2 bars random throws
set p* delay|=[(),[1,3,5]r/4]t[13,3]
delay=[0,(0,[1/4,3/4]r)]t[7,1]        // single-player form

|= (concat-assign) appends to existing delay rather than overwriting.

Pattern variation with `crop` and `+`

b reese 0_7 crop 14 + 89             // 14 beats of 0_7, then 89
ps sd909 ..0 crop 16
t trance 72. crop 14 + 89

Sidechain-style ducking via `pulse`

amp=2/3+kd.pulse.0/3                       // pad swells with kick
contrast=3-2*bs.pulse.max                   // visual reacts to bass
zoom=1+smooth{main.pulse,att:1/2,dec:1/2}   // smoothed pulse for visuals

Visual + buffer feedback (canonical setup)

vk kal 1, buffer='vb', blend=max, contrast=3, fore=neonpink
vb buffer 0, feedback={fore:0.95,zoom:1.01,rotate:0.001}

Common feedback knobs: fore:0.85-0.97 (decay), zoom:1.001-1.05, rotate, ripple, scroll, mirror. Reactive: feedback={fore:0.85+0.15*pk.pulse.0,zoom:1.02}.

Webcam + recolor

vw webcam 0, vignette=0, buffer='vb', recol=neon, blend=max
vb buffer 0, loc=tile_tr, feedback={fore:0.9,zoom:1.02}

VHS retro look

v kal 0, vhs, vignette={1/2,aspect:4/3}, contrast
vb vhsbuffer 0, feedback={fore:0.85}

Build/drop arrangement via `riser`

riser is typically a slider ramp. Pieces stash a "drop" block as comments:

// set (b*,p*) hpf=10000-10000*riser^3    // sweep filters open
// set t cutoff=riser^3                    // open lead filter
// f sd909 2, level=riser^6                 // snare roll fades in

Define with set riser=slider{0,name:'Riser'}.

Euclidean rhythms

ph h909 0, o=euclid{16,from:[19,23]t4}-1     // open-hat pattern
b tb303 0, amp=euclid{32,from:53}-7/8         // sparse 303 line
o m1organ 0, dur=euclid{7,from:16}/4          // polymeter via dur

One-shots with `now ... loop 1`

boom play now [(vx)(vX)(VXM)] loop 1, room=2, echo=0.46
whoosh dsaw now (047) loop 1, envelope=simple, att=1/2, rel=3

now starts on next beat (not beat 0); loop 1 plays once.

Layered delay copies via subparams

Layer a delayed copy with different params on the same event:

delay=(0,{1/4,oct:3})                     // dry + delayed-up-an-octave
delay=(0,{3/4,oct:2,addc:19})             // detuned/octave-shifted
delay=(0,{1/2,add:1,stutter:2})           // multiple overrides

Shared chord progressions via `set ch=...`

set ch=[(0,2,4,7),(0,3,5,7),(1,3,5b,7),(1,3,4,6#)]t4
p dsaw 0, add=ch, glide=2/3
l sine 0, add=ch.rand, oct=5      // .rand picks a voice
b bass 0, add=ch.0                 // .0 picks first voice

Non-percussion targeting with `set !p*`

set !p* add+=[2,-1,1,0]t4
set !p* bus='blead'

Drum preset notes

909 synth (bd909, sd909, h909, cp909, t909, rs909, cc909, rc909): pass attack flag to bd909 for pitch-envelope click. Params: level, tune, decay, tone, snappy.
909 sampled (bds909, sds909, hs909, cps909, ts909, rss909, ccs909, rcs909): much lighter CPU — prefer for dense patterns.
h909/hs909: pattern char o = open hat. Drum char letters in patterns also pick variations.
tb303 flags: a=accent, u=up oct, d=down oct, s=slide.

Live-coding scaffold

Typical improv file:

include 'preset/synthwave.limut'        // or techno/house
set scale=minor
set bpm=120
set main compress={2,gain:2}, drive=1/64

vk kal 0, buffer='vb', blend=max, contrast
vb buffer 0, feedback={fore:0.95,zoom:1.01}

pk bd909 0..., attack
ph h909 ..0, swing=54
ps sd909 ..0., swing=58

b tb303 0, cutoff=[0:1]n4, resonance=7/8

// l trance 0_7, decay=5, reverb=2          // bring in lead
// pad softpad (024), dur=4
// set (p*,b) amp=0                         // drop block
// set t cutoff=riser^3

write-music

المزيد من هذا المستودع

المزيد من هذا المستودع

Structure of a Piece

Basic Syntax

Comments

Commands

Multi-line commands

Drum Patterns

Play Samples (full list)

Typical drum patterns

Pattern Syntax

Brackets in patterns

Pattern modifiers

Pattern literal

Pattern operators

Audio Synth Types

Basic oscillators

Detuned variants (thicker sound)

FM synthesis

Complex synths

Special synths

Melodic Patterns

Value Syntax

Numeric values

Sequences and timevars

Random and noise

Piecewise series

Arithmetic

Chords

Conditionals

Comparisons

Maps

Lookups (dot operator)

Modifiers

Intervals

Variable lookup

Common Event Params

Timing

Volume

READ ONLY params

Other

Audio Params

Envelope

Pitch & Tuning

Filter

Effects

Spatial

Other audio params

Visual Synths

Visual Params

Main Vars (set, not readable)

Predefined Vars

Functions

Node Functions

Nodes Library (include 'lib/nodes.limut')

Effects Library (include 'lib/effects.limut')

User Input Functions

Console Commands

Preset Libraries

Synthwave (include 'preset/synthwave.limut')

808 (include 'preset/808.limut')

909 (include 'preset/909.limut')

TB-303 (include 'preset/303.limut')

Trance (include 'preset/trance.limut')

Techno (include 'preset/techno.limut')

House (include 'preset/house.limut')

Available Scales

Set for Groups

Operator overrides

Bus Mixing

Genre Recipes

Techno (120-140 bpm, minor/phrygian)

House (120-128 bpm, minor/dorian)

Ambient (60-90 bpm, major/lydian/penta)

DnB (160-180 bpm, minor)

Acid (125-135 bpm, phrygian)

Synthwave (80-120 bpm, minor/phrygian)

Breakbeat/IDM (120-140 bpm, minor/phrygian)

Tips for Good Music

Nodes Library (`include 'lib/nodes.limut'`)

Effects Library (`include 'lib/effects.limut'`)

Synthwave (`include 'preset/synthwave.limut'`)

808 (`include 'preset/808.limut'`)

909 (`include 'preset/909.limut'`)

TB-303 (`include 'preset/303.limut'`)

Trance (`include 'preset/trance.limut'`)

Techno (`include 'preset/techno.limut'`)

House (`include 'preset/house.limut'`)

Mastering chain on `main` bus

Sparse delay idiom (`delay|=[...]t[N,M]`)

Pattern variation with `crop` and `+`

Sidechain-style ducking via `pulse`

Build/drop arrangement via `riser`

One-shots with `now ... loop 1`

Shared chord progressions via `set ch=...`

Non-percussion targeting with `set !p*`